Fortunately, the ball remains round

It looks like the expansive LEGO gaming universe is about to stretch out onto the football pitch, as the ever-faithful spoilers over at The Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea has uploaded a new listing for an as-yet-unannounced title, LEGO 2K Goooal!

As this is just a ratings board listing, there is very little info to go on. But we're clearly looking at a soccer title set within the creative building block world of LEGO. This leak ties in with an earlier report by VGC that revealed The LEGO Company was entering a partnership with 2K Games in order to develop a series of titles based around recreational sports. Visual Concepts' LEGO 2K Drive, which was released last month, is the first title in this range, and LEGO 2K Goooal! appears to be next in line.

We can expect an official announce??ment of LEGO 2K Goo??oal! from 2K Games and developer Sumo Digital at some point in the near-future, perhaps during a summer event such as Gamescom 2023.

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EA and FIFA set to part ways

Electronic Arts announced its financial earnings for its third quarter of the fiscal year, revealing that the latest, and last, entry in its long-running FIFA franchise, FIFA 23?, is on track to be the best-se??lling release in the franchise's entire history.

Speaking in a conference call, transcribed by VGC, EA CEO Andrew Wilson noted that North American sales of the football sim are up a huge 50% on last year's release, and as such the title is "pacing to be the biggest title in franchise history". As we previously reported, Electronic Arts FIFA 23? had an in??credible launch week, racking up an incredible 10.3 million players within one week of its September 30, 2022 launch date.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0??tIW1X2dv0c&v??l=en&ab_channel=EASPORTSFIFA

In a strange irony, what could prove to be the most successful Electronic Arts FIFA title of all time will also be the last collaboration between the game publisher and international football's statutory body. As of next year, Electronic Arts will launch its new brand, EA Sports FC, while the Federation Internationale de Football Association itself is hoping to find succe??ss with its own football simulation series.

Despite the insistence by FIFA president Gianni Infantino that the new, official FIFA game will be "the only authentic, real game", and "best one available for gamers and football fans", I think we know where the development talent and marketing savvy really lie. And, given the skyrocketing success of FIFA 23, The FIFA federation may soon regret pricing itself out of one of �if not the �most consistently performing franchise in the entire history of video?? games.

FIFA 23 ?is available now on  PlayStation, PC, ?Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms.

EA says FIFA 23 is?? on track to be the biggest title in franchise history [VGC]

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Sam Kerr and Marcus Rashford prove key players

Despite having only launched just one month ago, Electronic Arts' FIFA 23 has already seen more engagement and playtime than some games can only dream of in their entire lifespan �Not only is the soccer sim the fastest-selling entry in franchise history, but the community has already played some 1.7 billion matches over the cou??rse of the past four weeks.

EA Sports noted the bewildering figure in a fun stat sheet pertaining to the new title, which launched on PC and consoles on September 29. According to the figures, over 200 nations have played for a total of 15 billion minutes, scoring 4.3 billion goals across the 1.7 billion matches. The top male goal?? scorer is Manchester United and England National player Marcus Rashford, while the top female scorer is Chelsea Women's Sam Kerr. Kerr also features on the cover of the Ultimate Edition and is the first woman soccer player to do so.

//twitter.com/EASPORTSFIFA/status/1587127376974151688?s=20&t=r1Nm??mBMRRLW1qa-Z22GOrA

It should also be noted that AFC Richmond has racked up one million m??atch wins to date. Good job, Ted.

FIFA 23 will be the final title in the decades-long franchise to feature joint collaboration between developer Electronic Arts and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) brand. Following a complex (and somewhat bitter) licensing dispute, the two billion-dollar juggernauts decided to part ways in 2021. Electronic Arts' future soccer sims will retail under the new name of EA Sports FC, while the FIFA organization has stated its intention on developing its own rival soccer series, which it claims will "remain THE BEST". Hmm.

FIFA 23 is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox pla????tforms.

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Multi-year partnerships with UWCL announced

This year's final collaboration between Electronic Arts and FIFA, FIFA 23, is the first title in the long-standing series to feature women's club football. And, in addition this long overdue feature in smash-selling franchise, EA Sports has also announced its intention to inv??est in women's football via a series of new initiat??ives.

Fir??stly, EA will contribute $11 m??illion USD via its "Starting XI" fund, which will be invested in women's clubs, leagues, and up-and-coming players. This will be followed in 2023 by a new internship program, which will be extended to all of its women's footballing partners in order to help support and finance new and upcoming players as they begin their journey to glory within The Beautiful Game.

"EA Sports is at the epicenter of global football fandom, and we recognize the role we have in representing and elevating diversity and par?ticipation in the sport,�said Brand SVP Andrea Hopelain. “Our commitment extends beyond the pitch in the virtual and real world. The? Starting XI Fund reinforces our dedication to unrivaled authenticity and representation in our games, and also showcases our focus on being changemakers for the future of the sport."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tIW1X2dv0c

In addition to these investments, EA has entered into a multi-year partnership with the UEFA Women's Championship League (UWCL), to license and include its team's within its future footballing releases, (which will be released under the newly licensed title of EA Sports FC). In alignment with the new UEFA license, EA will become a sponsorship partner for the streaming platform DAZN, which is po?ised to become the official streaming network for UWCL matches as of spring 2023.

"We are thrilled to officially announce EA Sports as DAZN’s newest global broadcast sponsor of the UWCL coverage, as part of a budding roster of like-minded brands investing into the ever-strengthening women’s football economic ecosystem," said DAZN Group CEO Shay Segev, CEO. "What EA SPORTS is doing to advance the women’s game is game-changing, and we look forward to activating this new partnership to collectively reach and engage millions more fans aro?und the globe and inspire the next generation along the way.

FIFA 23 is available now on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms. It has already seen the biggest launch in franchise history, pulling in an incredible 10 million players in its launch week.

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Manage the comedy series' team your way

This is a bit different from the usual news of a club signing on for FIFA. Electronic Arts confirms that Ted Lasso, of the series Ted Lasso, and the AFC Richmond squad are joining the roster of FIFA 23.

Jason Sudeikis' portrayal of lovable coach Ted Lasso will appear in-game, as well as a host of others from the AFC Richmond crew. Coach Beard, Jamie Tartt, Dani Rojas, Sam Obisanya, Roy Kent, and Isaac McAdoo are all lined up. Their home field of Nelson Road is also being integrated into FIFA 23.

And honestly, they all look solid in motion. Check it out in the trailer below.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUamiLX6gp4

According to the EA blog about the news, Ted will be selectable as a playable manager in Career Mode. You can also opt to manage AFC Richmond, swapping them into the Premier League o?r other playable Career Mode lea??gues.

AFC Richmond will also be playable in?? other modes, like Kick-Off, Online Friendlies, and Onli??ne Seasons, with the Nelson Road stadium available.

Kits and TIFOs for AFC Richmond are also being incorporated into Ultimate Team, as well as the option to have Ted or Coach Beard as your club manager. All AFC Richmond content in the FUT mode will be a??vailable through objectives and challenges.

Barbeque sauce

If you're not familiar, Ted Lasso is a series on Apple+ based on an NBC shorts series. Te??d is an American football coach who moves to England to take up the head coaching job for a Premier League team, and while it's definitely a comedy, it's also pretty heartfelt and enjoyable.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u7EIiohs6U

So it's definitely rad to see the whole AFC crew in here, and yeah, I'm actually kind of into the idea of playing a season as Ted and AFC. That chance isn't far off either. FIFA 23 goes li?ve on September 30 for P??layStation, Xbox, PC, and Stadia.

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Be sure to lock that leg strap on tight

The summer is here, with plenty of sun to go around. But if you'd rather play some indoor sports, Nintendo Switch Sports is getting a free update next week that adds some new moves to its various games. Keep cool and annihilate the competition.

A new update arriving July 26 at 6 p.m. PT will add some new features to Nintendo Switch Sports. The big one is more leg strap int??egration with Soc?cer, allowing you to use real-life kicks full Soccer matches.

This should add a little more activity to Soccer, which previously used a mixture of Joy-Con presses and other motions. This option will let you really juice up your kicks with ??real-life motion. Just make sure your strap is on tight, as you don't want to kick-fling a Joy-Con across the room.

But if Soccer isn't your jam, there are some other updates coming to other modes. Volleyball gets a few new moves for p?layers to execute, like the Slide Attack and Rocket Serve.

Join the league

The Nintendo Switch Sports update will also add ??new ranks to the Pro League modes. Joining Friend Matches using Room IDs will also make it easy to connect with others looking to launch soccer balls acros??s the pitch with massive leg swings.

Nintendo Switch Sports is the Switch's take on the classic Wii Sports set-up, mixing motion controls and sporting activities for a family party game experience. It had its ups and downs, as you can read in our review; while mainstays like Bowling and Tennis st??ay mostly st??rong, other modes had some struggles.

Hopefully the new moves add a little extra oomph to everyone's virtual Soccer and Volleyball matches. The Nintendo Switch Sports free update goes ??live with these new ??changes on July 26, 2022.

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Plus a new stadium and some gear

The first free update for Mario Strikers: Battle League arrives this week. It's bolstering the cast with some classic Mario ?characters, and also adding some new gear and stadiums to mix up the action on the field.

Daisy and Shy Guy both join the Mario Strikers: Battle League roster on July 22, as part of the game's free update. Also included in the update is Knight Gear, a set of gear that focuses on shooting and strength, and the Desert?? Rain Stadium.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=29qaA3suXBk

Daisy is a Technique-t?ype player who's difficult to knock down. Shy Guy, meanwhile, is an all-rounder. Personally, I just really dig Shy Guy's special shot. He basically turns himself into a bullet and launches himself at the ball, and it's fantastic.

More Mario sports

It looks like Mario Strikers: Battle League will carry on the usual model for Mario sports games on the Switch. Both Mario Tennis Aces and Mario Golf: Super Rush got a series of updates post-launch, adding characters and more options to ?the action. Th?ey were also free updates, which is a nice alternative to a DLC drip-feed.

It feels like Mario Strikers: Battle League is destined for a similar lifespan to those games. I do hope some of the post-launch content eventually addresses the lack of solo options noted in our review of Battle League.?? As much fun as beating your friends at Mario soccer is, having something to do on the road is nice too.

As for the character choices so far, Daisy and Shy Guy seem like fun additions. My petition: get some wild, out-there picks in the Mario Strikers roster. You just know Wiggler would be a wild addition to the lineup. Maybe ev??en a guest character?

Mario Strikers: Battle League is out now on the Nintendo Switch.

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Get ahead of the field this weekend

A new Mario sports game is due out in just a few weeks. But if the wait's a bit too long, there's a demo event for Mario Strikers: Battle League being held next weekend.

Nintendo announced the Mario Strikers: Battle League First Kick demo today, a weekend-long online event. Just download the Mario Strikers: Battle League demo off th??e eShop and log on during the active time periods.

Note that this does require an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription. You can go ahead and download the demo right here, right now at this link.

Mario Strikers: Battle League First Kick dates and times:

• Friday, June 3 - 8:00-9:00pm PT
• Saturday, June 4 - 4:00-5:00am PT
• Saturday, June 4 - 12:00-1:00pm PT
• Saturday, June 4 - 8:00-9:00pm PT
• Sunday, June 5 - 4:00-5:00am PT
• Sunday, June 5 - 2:00-1:00pm PT

Online play will be active during those windows, with both Versus Everyone and Join Friends matches open. Training mode will also ??be open for the duration of the demo, so you?? can hop in and get ready for the big matches early.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW2mgcAxdWs

Mario Strikers is one of the Mario sports series that hasn't had as much attention as its Golf or Tennis brethren. It's a shame, because I've got some pretty fond memories of previous Strikers games. (A?nd while we're a??t it, I'm really hoping for a new Mario Baseball at some point.)

The various sports franchises have had some mixed reception with their Nintendo Switch iterations. For Mario Strikers: Battle League, it seems like there are plans for gradual content to roll out post-launch. Nintendo also confirmed today that Mario Strikers: Battle League will get "multiple" post-launch drops, of bo?th characters and unspecified?? content, in free updates.

Frankly, I'd love to see some guest characters hit the field, much like Link in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. We'll see what Mario Strikers: Battle League has in store ?when it hits the Switch pitch on June 10, 2022.

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This year's FIFA will be the last

Electronic Arts has announced that its partnership with FIFA is coming to a close. The video game publisher confirms today that after over two decades, EA will be splitting off and making its own series, dubbed EA Sports FC.

The rebrand will take effect in 2023, so this year's virtual soccer title will still be under the FIFA name. Then, in summer 2023, the EA Sports FC franchise will become the new franchise.

In a blog penned by Cam Weber, the EVP of EA Sports and Racing, the publisher confirms that many aspects of their previous soccer games will remain intact. This includes Career, Pro Clubs, Volta, and of course, Ultimate Team. The licensing will still remain in effect too, including pa?rtnerships with the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and the MLS.

Weber writes that this independent platform will bring an opportunity to "innovate, create, and evolve." The publisher is loo??king to increase the number of partners it works with, and expand to "new authentic experiences."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLj-27T-SEQ

The long game

The writing has been on the wall for this move. Earlier this year, VGC reported that EA CEO Andrew Wilson wa??s looking at breaking off its relationship with FIFA. According to VGC's sources, Wilson called the FIFA license an "impediment" to Electronic Arts' ambitions.

Weber had even floated the idea of EA Sports football without FIFA involved in a letter last year. "As we look ahead, we’re also exploring the idea of ??renaming our global EA SPORTS football games," Weber wrote at the time. "This means we’re reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our other official partnerships and licenses across the football world."

Despite tensions mounting, this is still a major shift for the sports scene. After one more year of FIFA football, the series will be moving to a new name. Seems like we'll have to wait until next year to hear if the changes amount to more than a name, however. EA says it will share more info about its new era in summer 2023. Until then, I suppose there's always FIFA 23.

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FUT decreed not 'an isolated game'

In a surprising bit of legal news, a Dutch court ha??s overturned the â‚?0 million fine handed down to Electronic Arts over its popular loot box mechanic FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT). The Dutch Administrative Jurisdictio??n Division has upheld the publisher's appeal, effectively overruling the decision handed down by The Court of The Hague in 2020.

The Hague had previously decreed that EA broke Dutch gambling laws via the sale of in-game FUT packs, fining the FIFA publisher a hefty â‚?00,000 for each week it continued to sell the digital add-ons, with a maximum penalty fixed at â‚?0 million. EA chose to call the ruling's bluff, filing for ?appeal and continuing to sell the digital trading cards in the meantime.

?A risky endeavor that has paid o?ff (quite literally.)

On Wednesday, as reported by Eurogamer, The Dutch Administrative Jurisdiction Division �essentially the highest order of law in the Netherlands �decided that the purchasing and opening of FUT packs did not qualify as "an isolated game," and that it was an element of chance voluntarily utilized as a part of a "game of skill" (FIFA itself).

"The vast majority of packs are obtained by and used for game participation," ruled the court. "Since the packs are not a standalone game, they are not a game of chance and do not require a licence. The publisher has therefore not violated the Games of Chance Act and the Gaming Authority should therefore not have imposed a penalty ?payment on the publisher. The Administrative Jurisdiction Division has 'revoked' the impose?d penalty."

Though this particular situation has worked out in EA's favor, it has been a turbulent 12 months for the FIFA franchise. In the summer of 2022, a scandal dubbed "EAGate" saw employees selling high-ranking FUT cards "under-the-table" for ludicrous amounts of money. More recently, it seems more and more likely that EA and FIFA itself are scheduled to part ways, with the former rumored to be considering a full rebrand, following the alleged doubling of the latter's licensing fee.

For decades, FIFA has been one of the most financially lucrative franchises in all of gaming. As such, any and all contro?versies and criticisms are simply storms that EA will gladly weather if, ultimately, it is able to keep the ba?ll rolling.

EA's â‚?0m Dutch FIFA loot box fine overturned [Eurogamer]

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The big November update is now targeting next spring

Konami's new virtual football game eFootball 2022 has been having a pretty rocky launch. The PES ??successor was set to receive a big patch this month, but today, the development team has announced it's pushing that update back to next ??year.

An update from the eFootball 2022 team says that the version 1.0.0 update scheduled for Nov. 11 will now go live in spring 2022. Additionally, Konami is cancelling and refunding the eFootball 2022 Premium Player Pack pre-orders, and automatical??ly refunding anyone who purch?ased it.

"We are working as hard as possible to deliver an experience that our players expect and deserve by Spring 2022," said the Konami team. The mobile version of eFootball 2022 that was planned for this autumn has also been pushed back to spring 2022.

//twitter.??com/play_eFootball/status/1456432540508557315

Konami has been trying to manage expectations of eFootball 2022, as the version that's currently available is supposed to be a smaller version, likened to a demo. That hasn't really stopped fans being either disappointed? with the?? result that's publicly available, or chuckling at some of the misha?ps oc?curring on-screen, or both.

November's version 1.0.0 update for eFootball 2022 was set to add a significant amount of content to the virtual pitch, so holdouts are probably disappointed to see it slip. You also can't re-do a first impressio?n, so making that next impression count is pretty important.

Konami as a whole is reportedly gearing up for some big things, too. A recent report says that Konami is ramping up development on new projects across many of its popular old franchises, including Metal Gear, Castlevania, and the Silent Hill series. Reports at the time indicated that this could include a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

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It's also moving to a new engine

Konami announced today eFootball is its new soccer game, as the successor to PES, and it's got some changes in store. eFootball is coming to both Xbox and PlayStation console generations, as well as PC, this fall, and it??'s switching up much of its approach.

Konami's eFootball will be a digital-only, free-to-play soccer game. The plan for eFootball is to provide a "fair and balanced experience" for players across all plat??forms, though more about gameplay and the online modes will be revealed later in August.

Because it's a digital-only title, eFootball will also be receiving content updates over time after it goes live. Local matches between FC Barcelo??na, Juventus, FC Bayern, Manchester United, and others will be available for free at launch. In the future, "certain game modes" will be sold as optional DLC.

eFootball wi?ll also have full cross-play support post-launch. The soccer experience is also coming to mob??ile on Android and iOS, though at a later date.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzd7OpCHCi0

Finally, eFootball heads into the new console generation with a new engine. Konami will be implementing the Unreal Engine for this game, which it says h??as allowed the team to massively overhau?l player expression.

It sounds like a big overhaul for Konami's soccer series, as it continues to compete with Electronic Arts' annual FIFA offering. The company had surprise-dropped a "New Football Game Online Performance Test" last month, in order for players to help test its online matchmaking and server?s. Now, it looks like Konami's offering is looking to offer an alternative, bo?th in how it plays and in how it rolls out over time.

Whether Konami's eFootball can square off against FIFA, we'll see. EA is likely set to discuss more about its own soccer series tomorrow during this year's EA Play Live event, as it also hosted a recent spotlight on this year's game. But a competitive, free-to-play sports title does seem like it could shake up?? the status quo a fair bit.

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The New Football Game Online Performance Test

Konami launched an open beta for a "New Football Game," presumably the next iteration of its PES football series. And what's stranger i??s, this is a surprise launch, out now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, and Xbox One.

In what Konami is calling the New Football Game Online Performance Test, the company states it is evaluating the quality of the online matchmaking and connect?ion to servers. Konami also says that the gameplay mechanics, b?alancing, animations, and graphics are all still in development.

The demo is limited to a select number of teams and squads of 22 players, and you won't need PlaySt?ation Plus or Xbox Live Gold to play multiplayer matches. There's a survey available too, to provide any feedback you have.

It's a bit strange to see this so quietly launched, but if you??'re aching for some soccer on your new console, you'll have the New F??ootball Game around until July 8.

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